


The Brightest Stars

by rosepetalsinwinter



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-23
Updated: 2015-07-23
Packaged: 2018-04-10 20:38:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4406705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosepetalsinwinter/pseuds/rosepetalsinwinter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based off of this prompt on Tumblr:<br/>I just saw a post with somebody saying how they want Mattie's animal form to be a bear. Laura walks in on Mattie and Carmilla talking about old stories and Mattie saying she killed a woman around 15 years ago, which happened to be Laura's mom. So Laura's mom was killed by a bear, which was actually Mattie and that's why her dad makes her carry that huge bag of bear spray.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Brightest Stars

“And remember gentle viewers, the southwest end of campus is experiencing some fungus issues, so I would suggest avoiding that area until further notice. I hope everyone has a lovely afternoon!”

Laura smiled and shut her computer, having finished her daily video. Her stomach was growling, and she looked around the apartment to find it empty. It had been four days since the beginning of the “Mattie Incursion”, as LaFonatine liked to call it, and Laura was ready to tear her hair out.

The aforementioned Mattie had practically taken up residence with the pair, splitting her time between daylong board meetings and partying with Carmilla. When she wasn’t doing either of those things, she roamed around the apartment, raiding the fridge and lurking while Laura filmed her videos.

The tiny blonde had complained to Carmilla, who agreed about Mattie’s behavior. However, much to her dismay, Carmilla wouldn’t stand up to her sister. She had no problem beating up her brother, but Mattie was a much more formidable opponent, and the brunette wouldn’t dare.

Unplugging her laptop form the charger, Laura dropped it into her backpack and wandered into the kitchen, where to her annoyance, she found the fridge empty. She’d been trying to move away from her glucose and grape soda fueled study diet and onto healthier options, and although Carmilla hadn’t been a huge fan of the change, Laura knew she secretly loved the Greek salads the other woman made for dinner.

Laura mounted the stairs, boards squeaking as her bare feet padded up the steps.

“Carm!” she called, walking down the empty hallway. “What do you want for – “ She was cut off by the sound of Mattie’s voice, wafting out from behind one of the various bedroom doors.

“But do you remember…” Mattie drawled between laughs, “a couple years ago, you and I went out in the forest – by that backwater town no one had heard of?”

“Yes sister, I remember.” Laura could hear the smile in Carmilla’s voice.

“And we went hiking? What a sight, huh? A bear and a black cat, walking the trail…” Laura had forgotten that Mattie’s “animal form” was a bear.

“Why do you remember it so well?” inquired Carmilla. She paused. “Is it because of the woman? The one you – “ Her voice caught.

“The one I killed kitty,” Mattie interjected. On the other side of the door, the woman rolled her eyes at her little sister’s discomfort.

“Yes,” Carmilla replied. “The one you killed.”

“I was hungry darling.”

“Doesn’t mean you had to _kill_ the woman. You _saw_ that she had a child. There were a hundred people in that forest.”

“Yes, but none of them were wearing such a pretty purple shirt.”

Laura’s heart slowed to a crawl. The world went quiet and she stood very still, Carmilla and Mattie’s conversation muffled by the pounding of blood in her ears. The morning flashed before her eyes.

“Can you get some firewood sweet pea?” her mother had called, emerging from their tent.

Ten-year-old Laura had smiled, running into the forest and eagerly grabbing sticks and twigs. Soon she was deep into the woods, lost amongst the morning birds’ calls.

“Mommy!” she called. That’s what she was supposed to do. If she ever found herself lost, she could call and her mommy would come for her.

She waited for a minute, but there was no reply.

“Mommy!” she called again. Again, she heard nothing. For a few moments, she stood, frozen in her spot. Then someone screamed. “Mommy!” she screeched, crashing through the foliage towards the sound.

Ten feet from the site, Laura had slammed to a halt. Nine years later, the memory still made her shudder. Her mother’s body had lain, mutilated and discarded, on the forest floor.

Laura had looked around frantically for help, but there was nobody around. She had screamed.

Her eyes blurred with tears, and all she could see was her mother’s purple sweater, soaked in blood, and a black bear sauntering into the forest.

The rest had been a blur. Her father never really spoke about her mother’s death, so Laura never really thought about it. His only consoling actions had been to kiss Laura on the forehead and hand her a bag of bear spray, which she had kept to this day.

With Mattie’s words, every little detail came rushing back. All of a sudden, she was forced to relive every painful moment – the funeral, the pitiful pats on the back, how her father had drank himself into oblivion that night; how Laura had hidden in her room while he rampaged around the house, covers over her head and cheeks stained with tears.

Laura dropped to the floor and screamed. The sound reverberated through the old house, and Carmilla burst out of the room, eyes wide.

“Laura!” she exclaimed. “Laura what’s wrong?”

Tears were streaming down Laura’s face, and her screams turned to sobs.

Carmilla dropped to her knees, looking for any injuries. When she found nothing, she picked up the smaller woman and rushed her into the bedroom, where she lay her carefully atop the bed.

Laura was still sobbing, and she clutched Carmilla closely. The brunette waited until she had calmed slightly before asking, “Laura, can you tell me what’s wrong?”

“My m-mom. She – “

It was at that moment that Mattie poked her head around the doorframe, and Laura’s expression suddenly grew stone cold.

“It was you,” she said coldly, eyes trained on Mattie.

“Excuse me?” Mattie replied.

“It was you,” Laura repeated. Years of pent-up anger and sadness were coiling together – years of being lost and not having her mother to run to. All of the years of hurt and loneliness culminated into a vicious punch as Laura leapt off the bed, landing a blow across Mattie’s unsuspecting cheek.

“What the hell!” she exclaimed as Laura hit her again and again.

In between punches, Laura yelled, “YOU. KILLED. MY. MOTHER.” Carmilla managed to yank Laura away, but the smaller woman kept her hateful gaze fixed on the smirking vampire.

Wrapping her arms around her girlfriend, Carmilla asked, “What do you mean?”

“She killed her,” Laura nearly growled. “That woman in the park was my mother. That kid was _me._ That’s why my dad makes me carry all of that bear spray.”

Mattie and Carmilla’s jaws dropped. There was a moment of silence before Carmilla grabbed Mattie by the collar and dragged her downstairs. Laura could hear her yelling, “If I _ever_ see you back here you son of a bitch, I _will_ kill you. Then, a door slammed. Seconds later, she was back upstairs, pulling Laura into a tight embrace. Laura could hear Carmilla whispering, “I’m sorry,” over and over again. When she turned her head, she saw the brunette’s cheeks were streaked with tears; it was the first time she had seen her truly cry.

“Hey, Carm, it’s okay,” she breathed, pulling the brunette closer.

She shook her head furiously. “No, it’s not okay. Mattie killed your mother. And I didn’t stop her. It’s all my fault.” Carmilla’s voice cracked, and she sobbed into Laura’s shoulder, wracked with guilt. Laura had never seen her like this.

“Shhh,” she said softly, kissing Carmilla’s forehead. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault.”

“I swear I’m going to kill Mattie.”

Knowing Carmilla was serious, Laura replied, “You don’t need to kill her Carm.” Suddenly, and idea struck her. Grabbing Carmilla’s hand, she led her girlfriend to the roof. As always, the stars were twinkling in the evening sky.  

“What am I here to see Hollis?” Carmilla inquired.

“See the stars?”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course I see them.”

“Well, the light from the stars travels millions of miles just to shine on you. Sometimes that light has to fight through a whole lot of deep, dark, scary space to reach you.” Laura’s fingers crept up Carmilla’s arm. “But that star wouldn’t trade that journey for the world, because it means she gets to be with you.”

“Laura?”

“Yeah?”

“You are a huge dork.” Laura laughed and Carmilla turned to meet her eyes. “I love you.”

Laura’s breath caught, and for a moment, she didn’t know what to say. Carmilla was hundreds of years old. She had been in love countless times, but love still held great value for her. She’d had flings, affairs, and great romances. With Laura, however, things were different. She had fallen so deeply in love, and that scared Laura more than she cared to admit. At nineteen years old, she had never truly experienced love, let alone the kind that ran between her and her broody vampire girlfriend. For a few precious seconds, she struggled with what to do or say. She couldn’t think of anything witty or clever or sweet, so she just said the words that had come to her in the first place.

“I love you too.”

 


End file.
